Lord Sebastian's Secret (The Duke's Sons #3)(82)

“Exalted,” repeated Sebastian. It wasn’t a word he was accustomed to hearing in the course of a conversation. “Just so.” Miss Byngham was going. He had to stop her. “But…but…however did you get this idea in the first place?”

A spark of enthusiasm lit his companion’s eyes. She stepped closer to him. “It is amazing, is it not? Until that memorable occasion under the guidance of Mr. Mitra, I had never before experienced pure inspiration. Did you not feel it yourself? The mystic connection to the past?”

“Not as you did.” Which was not as Mitra meant them to, Sebastian remembered. He’d certainly felt something odd, though.

Miss Byngham waved a hand. “Well, there are many different degrees of sensitivity, I imagine. And of course, I have years of research behind me.”

“Right.”

She looked expectant. He floundered for a reply.

Just when Georgina was about to despair, she noticed a small wooden chest sitting on a shelf in the corner. Richly inlaid, it looked familiar, something she’d seen about the house. It was certainly a new addition here. Striding over she took it down and set it on the desk. There was a keyhole. If the thing was locked… But it wasn’t. It opened under her hands. No doubt the key had been lost long ago.

Inside, she found a sheaf of papers tied together with a red ribbon. A moment’s reading told her that she’d discovered her quarry at last. This was the ritual. Paging through it, she found the section she wanted. It was longer than she’d hoped. Praying that she would have enough time, Georgina cleared a space on the desk and sat down to write. She’d left nothing to chance, but had brought pen, ink, and paper with her in a small cloth bag.

“But…never anything like this before, in your research?” Sebastian managed.

Miss Byngham drifted further back toward him. “No. Although I have yearned. Perhaps you’ve come across Mr. Wordsworth’s ‘Ode: Intimations of Immortality’?”

“Uh, no.” Sebastian didn’t much care for this talk of yearning. Or intimations. Whatever they might be.

She didn’t seem surprised at his ignorance. “It is quite a recent publication. A work of genius, I may add. When I discovered it, I was…ravished.”

She waved her arms in a wide arc. Sebastian edged away. Ravishment was even worse than yearning.

“I’ve always felt that there would be more to my life than teaching,” Miss Byngham continued. “A greater destiny. One can foresee these things, don’t you think?”

“Er… I…” He was losing control of the conversation, Sebastian thought. If he’d ever had it.

“You yourself might have imagined finding a link to an ancient past? Coming from such an illustrious family?”

“No,” he answered with complete sincerity.

“Ah, well.” She bowed her head as if sorry for him and made a little motion with one hand. He couldn’t tell if it was meant as a blessing or a dismissal. “I beg your pardon, Lord Sebastian, but I really must go.” This time she didn’t wait for a reply, but hurried from the room.

Practically sweating with the effort he’d made, Sebastian checked his watch. He’d managed the hour, but only just. He hoped it would be enough. He thought of following Miss Byngham, but what would he say if she noticed? He’d run out of ideas. He couldn’t tackle her in an upstairs corridor to rescue Georgina. Still, perhaps he ought to try. He stepped out into the hall.

“You missed a very pleasant walk,” said Randolph at his back.

Sebastian jumped like a startled hare and whirled on his brother.

Randolph took a step back. “Sebastian, tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing. You took me by surprise, that’s all.”

“You look like you’ve been harried to death.”

“No, I don’t.”

Randolph examined him, then shrugged. “The thought of this…event tonight seems to be making everyone a bit skittish.”

“I am not skittish,” said Sebastian. A door slammed in the upper regions, and he started again. Was it a sign that Georgina had been caught? Should he rush to help her?

“Obviously,” replied his brother dryly.

There was no further sound, no uproar floating down the staircase.

Randolph put a comradely hand on his arm. “Sebastian, tell me again. You’re not sorry to be marrying into this family, are you? Because you know I would help you disengage…”

“No!”

“All right. There’s no need to shout at me.”

“I must…I need something from my room,” declared Sebastian. He’d patrol the corridors, make certain nothing had gone wrong. Leaving Randolph staring, he strode off.

“What are you up to?”

Georgina jumped. She whirled to find her brother observing her from the end of the corridor. Had he seen her relock Joanna’s room? She tried to judge from his expression. “Nothing,” she replied.

“Oh, come,” He strolled toward her. “I’ve seen that look before. You’re plotting something. Is it to do with this silly ritual tonight? I wouldn’t mind helping you.”

“No, I’m not. I was…just going to get something from the schoolroom.” She should have used another excuse. If Edgar and the maids ever compared notes—which was thankfully unlikely—her behavior was going to be judged very odd.